kleinert



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

. R. KLEINERT.

. GAR COUPLING.

No. 482,904. Patented Sept. 20, 1892. I

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. KLEINERT.

GAB COUPLING. No. 482,904. Patented Sept. 20, 1892.

UNITED ST TEs PATENT OFFI E.

ROBERT KLEINERT, or BRESLAU, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO KoRNER & SOHULTE, on SAME PLACE.

CAR-CCU PLI NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,904, dated September 20, 1892.

Application filed April 8,1892- Serial No. 428,306. (No model.) Patented in Germany May 13, 1891, No. 62,010-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT KLEINERT, a citizen of the Kingdom of Prussia, residing at Breslau, in Silesia, Empire of Germany,have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling, (for which I have obtained a patent in Germany, dated May 13, 1891, No. 62,010,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway couplings in which the coupling mechanism is actuated by cranked crossshafts rotated by levers or handles; and its object is to providea coupling device which allows a reliable coupling or uncoupling from the side of the cars or vehicles, so that the brakeman does not stand in need of working between the platforms of the railway-cars. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation showing two railway-cars coupled together by the new railway-coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the coupling mechanism, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows the position of tho railway-coupling when not in use. Fig. 5 illustrates the original position of the actuating-levers. Fig. 6 represents the railwaycoupling in the raised position necessary for coupling, and Fig. 7 illustrates the disposition of the actuating-levers for this raised position.

The new railway-coupling consists of links H, pivoted to the draw-bar w by means of a bolt 1;, and of a loop m, pivoted to the other end of the links n and held normally in a nearly-straight position by suitable stops. To the bolt 0;, moreover, is pivoted a bifurcated link or rod n, terminating in a hook R, the opening of which is inversed to that of the draw-hook R. The upper ends of the link at are fitted with guide-flanges s, which prevent that the loop m can pass to the side of the draw-hook R. The links it are provided with tappets e, the purpose of which will be explained farther on.

In the bearings q, fixed on the front beams of the cars, there are arranged the cross-shafts 7c and p, actuated independently of each otherby the hand-levers a and I). These crossshafts serve for raising and engaging the jointed link-loops n m with the draw-hooks R or the hooks R. For this purpose the crossshaft 10 is cranked in the middle, so that when the cross-shaft 7c is rotated by the hand-lever a the cranked part of the cross-shaft raises the link-loop n m, as shown in Fig. 6. The cross-shaft p is provided at each side of the draw-hook R with arms f, the ends of which are connected with the loop m by chains 72. By rotating the cross-shaft p the arms f will turn upward the loop m independently of the links n, so that the'parts m and not the coupling may form a more or less obtuse angle with each other. (See Fig. 6.)

In order to facilitate the raising of the linkloop n m, I prefer to arrange the bearings q of the cross-shaft 70 so that the central line of this cross-shaft and that of the pivotbolt 2) lie in one straight line. (See coupling mechanism of the vehicle at the right hand of Figs. 1 and 3.) By this disposition I obviate the sliding and frictional motion between the cranked part of the cross-shaft 7c and the links n which takes place when the cross-shaft 7c is placed above or below the pivot-bolt '0. (See left-hand coupling, Figs. 1 and 2.) To provide sufficient space for the buffers, the crossshaft must be cranked conveniently on each side. For obtaining a more favorable transmission of movementI also arrange the crossshat't 19 not above the cross-shaft it, but behind and in equal height with the latter, Figs. 1, 4:, and 7. In this case the cross-shaft p is to be cranked three times,Figs. Zand 3. The double-armed levers a, actuating the crossshaft 70, are pivoted to the shaft 19, or in case the latter is arranged behind the cross-shaft 70 they maybe pivoted to particular axle-arms or pivot-bolts r, Figs. 1, 5, and 7. The motion of the hand-lever a is now transmitted to the crossshaft It by means of connectimg-rods c and a bent lever d, firmly attached to the cross-shaft 7c. The rotation of the cross-shaft p is efiected by hand-levers b, fixed upon the cross-shafts p.

The distension of the coupling is effected by means of the following contrivance: The ends u u of the draw-bar w, interrupted for this purpose near the front of the platform, are provided with right and left hand screwthreads adapted to engage a stretching screwnut t', sliding by means of groove-and-tongue connections in the nave of a conical wheel 0. By turning this wheel in one or the other direction the screw-threaded ends to u of the draw-bar to will be caused to approach or recede fromeach other,thus loosening or stretching the coupling.

The rotating of the conical wheel is offected by means of bevel-wheels y, actuated by handles .2. Supposing two vehicles in state of rest and in contact with their buffers are to be coupled, first one of the draw-hooks R,

(z'. a, the draw-hook of the left-hand car,Figs. 1 and 5,) with the coupling mechanism suspended thereon, must be pushed a little forward by rotating the handle 2, so that the opposite loop m can reach the said draw-hook R. Then I raise, by pressing down the handlever a by means of the cross'shaft k, the link-loop n m and turn up the loop m a little by drawing back the lever 12. By this operation the total length of thelink-1oop nm may be shortened so far that the coupling can pass upward in front of the left drawhook R. The coupling mechanism is thus brought from its original position, Fig. 4, into the raised position necessary for coupling, Fig. 6. After the loop m has passed the draw-hook R I release the hand-lever b, when the loop m will return by its own weight into the straight position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 6, in which it is held by suitable stops. The linkloop n m is now free to fall onto the left drawhook B. By next releasing the hand-lever a, the loop m, guided by the flaps 3, falls onto the hook R and slips past it. To stretch the coupling thus produced and to prevent accidental uncoupling, the handle 2' must be rotated a few times in the respective directions, Fig. 1.

When two vehicles come together-11. e., when one vehicle is at rest and the other in motion-and the coupling of these vehicles is to be eifected, the link-loop nmof the vehicle at rest must previously be brought into the raised and straight position, Fig. 6. If necessary, also, the coupling mechanism-via, the draw-hook-is to be pushed forward by actuating the bevel-gear y o by means of the handle 2. At the moment the buffer-heads of the cars touch each other the hand-levera is released. The link-loop n m, no longer supported by the cross-shaft It, falls down immediately and the loop m enters the hook R,

thus coupling the vehicles. The stretching is elfeoted in the same manner as stated above. As the link-loop n m is raised for entering the opposite draw-hook the tappets or pins e, projecting from the upper ends of the links n, strike against the under side of thebifurcated link n and raise this link, carrying the inversed hook R on its pivot into the position shown in Fig. 6. After the loop m has entered the draw-hook the link n and hook R therefore do not hang vertically, but they are held by the pinse in theraised position shown at the right side of Fig. 1. It is on account ofthis peculiar position of the hook R that the opposite loop m can engage the said hook R to produce an auxiliary coupling.

For engaging the left-hand loop m with the right-hand hook R the left link-loop n m is raised by means of the cross-shaft from the position 1 (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1) into the position 2, (shown also in dotted lines.) whereby the outer edge of the loop m will push back the hoop Z. By now drawing back the loop m and lowering the links 12 the loop m slips into the hook R, where it is secured by the hoop Z, Fig. 1.

Uncoupling of the auxiliary couplingis effected by raising the link-loop n m by means of the cross-shaft it into the position 2, Fig. 1, so that when the cross-shaft k is released, the said link-loop 'n m may fall back into the position 1, Fig. 1. The uncoupling of the main coupling is efiected by executing the' operations necessary for coupling and previously described in an inversed order.

What I claim is- 1. In a railway-coupling, the combination of a pivoted link 11. with actuating cranked cross-shaft k, a pivoted loop m, actuating cross-shaft p, arms f, and chains h, substantially as specified.

2. In a railway-coupling, the combination of a pivoted link 11., having studs c, with actuating cross-shaft k, a pivoted loop m, aotuating cross-shaft 9, arms f, chains h, and with a pivoted hook R, having guide-flaps s, substantially as specified.

Signed at Breslau, in Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, Empire of Germany, this 25th day of March, 1892.

ROBERT KLEINERT. Witnesses:

MAXIMILIAN BAUM, HELENE OZERWENKA. 

